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Board of trustees member Dr. Jack Graham speaks in convocation

Dr. Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, TX, and a member of Liberty University’s board of trustees, talked about the brevity of life at Monday’s convocation.

Referring to the country song “Live Like You Were Dying” and the movie “The Bucket List,” Graham said as Christians “every one of us ought to have a ‘bucket list.’ We ought to have such a purpose and passion for life that we do and get to do everything that God is calling all to do,” he said.

He said on a tombstone there are two dates – birth and death, neither of which we get to choose ourselves. But he urged Liberty students to focus on what people all have in common: “the dash in the middle,” he said. “We do have the choice about what happens there.”

He told students that “it’s not the duration of life that matters,” but what is done for the Lord and to His glory.

He asked students: “So how’s it going with your dash?”

He ended his talk by saying that “life really should not be measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of breath-taking moments you make for the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Don’t waste this time that you have here,” he told them. “I know some of it is just routine … you feel like you get in a rut just to get to class, pass the test and get on with life. Let me remind you this IS your life. God has you here by His purpose and His will right now. Hear the call of God right now … make sure you’re living life in the full.”

Graham, who was greeted with cheers from students who have been members of his 28,000-member congregation in Texas, has served two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He has written numerous books, including “You Can Make a Difference,” “Lessons from the Heart,” “A Hope and a Future,” “Life According to Jesus,” and “Courageous Parenting,” co-authored by his wife, Deb. His most recent book, “Are You Fit for Life?,” was released in January.

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